Google may be in the process of bringing its mobile operating system to desktop and notebook computers, according to a recent patent filing. The patent, which was discovered by Patently Apple, showcases desktop control features similar to Apple’s multitouch MacBook trackpad and Magic Trackpad. The current Android operating system has been designed for touch commands and actions, however in the future it may be expanded to support different means of control, Google said in the patent overview. Using a multitouch trackpad, a user can “directly interact with graphical elements located at the current pointer location as if they are using a touchscreen device, and perform traditional touchscreen operations (e.g., dragging/flinging content, scrolling).” Following Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility, it is believed that the Mountain View-based company will now explore a variety of new hardware products. More →

Following the Apple MacBook Pro leak saga? Rumors have been swirling practically every day about Apple’s latest MacBook Pro refresh, and a leaked photo from earlier today appears to confirm part of what we exclusively reported — that Apple’s new MacBook Pro’s will have larger all-glass multitouch trackpads. The same report also confirms the presence of a Thunderbolt port on the new MacBook Pro, which is Apple’s name for Intel’s Light Peak connection set to be unveiled tomorrow as well.

UPDATE: Upon closer inspection, it looks as though the MacBook Pro pictured above may have the same sized trackpad as the current 13-inch model, though it is possible that the new 13-inch model will retain the same sized trackpad while the 15 and/or 17-inch models may see a size increase. More →

We just said adéu to our friendly FedEx delivery person and ripped into our care package sent by Google. On first glance, the Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop looks very similar to Apple’s black MacBook. The screen is 12.1-inches, the entire computer is done up in a soft-touch rubberized finish, and — while it’s a bit thick (we’re used to using a MacBook Air) — we have had some fun typing on the well thought out (and well spaced) keyboard. Here are our first impressions:

We can’t get over how instant this thing is — it boots and wakes from sleep literally in one second max!

The soft-touch rubber finish, which at first didn’t sound very appealing, works really well on this super stealth, never-being-released notebook.

This is more of a preference, but we’d take a glossy display over the matte one on here any day… although the matte finished does fit into the anti-gloss vibe of the machine.

We can’t begin to explain how great of a feeling it is to have Verizon cellular support built in and how simple and easy the set up process is. Activating our 100MB/mo free account was extremely simple. One or two more steps than signing up for AT&T’s prepaid iPad plans — very solid.

Switching between open windows (think Spaces on a Mac with less jazz) is incredibly quick.

It’s so hard to get used to the fact that everything is browser-based, but it all has seemed to work very well for us so far.

Guest accounts rock!

All of our Google Chrome extensions and bookmarks were transferred over instantly for us — super cool.

The speed of the machine, in general, is obviously slower than we’d like and for a 12-inch (read: large) computer. But again, this isn’t meant to be released to the general public.

We had some wonkiness with the upper part of the LCD screen when we first turned it on, but we’re thinking that might have been due to the extreme temperatures this poor sucker had to endure on its journey to us this morning.

The trackpad hates us. It’s incredibly annoying and difficult to use. First off, it feels cheap, and second, unless you are scrolling with two fingers, don’t even try and have more than one finger at a time on here.

We’re cranking away and exploring Google’s first Chrome OS laptop and we will be sure to report back with more findings over the next couple days. In the meantime, hit up our hands-on gallery while we go make some insanely hot hot-chocolate!

A new video posted to YouTube Wednesday reportedly shows a man handling Sony Ericsson’s upcoming PlayStation Phone. While very little, if anything, can be gleaned from the video itself, the important takeaway is the very existence of this footage. The PlayStation Phone is now being demonstrated in various corners of the world, which means an announcement shouldn’t be far off. The blogger who played with the phone did have some interesting tidbits to share as well, such as specs that include a 4-inch touchscreen, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), a dedicated game store, a touch-sensitive control surface on the slider, an 8-megapixel camera and some special PlayStation-themed live wallpapers. He also says that the codename of the device is listed as Zeus, which jibes with earlier reports. More →

We’ll be honest, seeing a shiny new gadget get taken down to the screws puts a huge smile on our faces… and why shouldn’t it? Two days after the Magic Trackpad was released by Apple, the gang over at ifixit has done a proper teardown of the device. Spoiler Alert: there were no magical gnomes or elves hiding inside the trackpad. If you still want to know more hit up the read link to see the trackpad takedown. More →

TmoNews has gotten their hands on an image of the Android-powered Motorola Charm which, by all accounts, appears due to land on T-Mobile in the very near future. The Charm is a chubby, full-QWERTY candybar phone that is reported to have a Backflip-like trackpad on its posterior and 3-inch touchscreen. The phone has all the trappings of an entry-level Android device…but let’s hope that it comes out of the box with Android 2.1 and not 2.0 or *shudder* 1.6. Any Magenta fans out there looking for an entry level Android phone in the candybar form-factor? More →

In 2006, RIM launched the BlackBerry Pearl 8100. It’s critical reception was mixed, but there’s no denying it helped propel the BlackBerry brand to super stardom. Since then, smartphones have become even more mainstream and many serious competitors have emerged. Yes despite all of the competition and its own success, RIM has remained relatively true to its conservative tradition. Even today, a time when more than half of its customers are consumers, RIM is still sticking with a Java-based OS that has remained relatively unchanged since the Pearl first hit the scene. This year, RIM announced to little fanfare. Can a consumer product from a company that is business-centric at its roots survive in the age of Android and iPhone? Hit the jump to find out as we review the BlackBerry Pearl 3G from Rogers. More →

Sure we’ve already seen BlackBerry 6 in action thanks to an epic 17 minute walkthrough, but that video featured a touchscreen ‘Berry. What’s life going to be like on the new OS for those of us that prefer non-touchscreen devices from RIM? Well we know now, as the folks at Driphter have posted a lengthy rundown of BlackBerry 6 running on that crazy clamshell 9670. We get that the prospect of sinking 10:27 of your life into watching a video of an unreleased device isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got the stomach time for it or are just a BlackBerry fanatic, then hit the jump to check out the goodness.

Rumors of a multi-touch trackpad for desktops Macs have been along for ages, but the last time we really heard of them was last October. Since then it’s essentially been relegated to the annals of Apple rumor history, but oh look! Just hours before Steve Jobs & Co. are to take to the stage at Moscone Center for the WWDC 2010 keynote, a trio of photos said to be of the mythical multi-touch accessory have surfaced by way of Engadget. The images look extremely convincing, but let’s try to not lose our heads over a rumor this early in the morning. We’ve got a long day ahead of us. More →

With rumors and rumors of a clamshell BlackBerry device going back ages, we finally have some confirmation on the phone, and in a big way, too. Not only do we have the first photos ever of this BlackBerry 9670, and not only is it the first BlackBerry clamshell ever seen (we don’t really count the Pearl Flip), but it’s also running the first ever photos of OS 6.0 (on a device). We’d love to tell you all about this brand new BlackBerry device… after the jump! More →

Hear that noise? That’s Fido saying goodbye to 2006 and hello to… 2009? Fido has finally caved in and introduced a modern-ish BlackBerry with today’s release of the Curve 8520. Attractively priced at $50 with a 3-year voice and data contract, the 8520 is also available to pre-paid customers for the one-time cost of $400. Throw in a CityFido plan and data add-on and you really can’t argue against this device if you’re in the market for an affordable smartphone. You know, unless you care about 3G. More →

Motorola making a device in more than one color? You don’t say… One of our connects sent us the above photo of the Motorola Calgary / DROID Devour / Whatever, and confirmed the specifications we posted a few months back. We also received some more feedback on the device — hit the jump for the goodies!